Community voices - Project Optimist

🚀Community voices | Meet KZYS, Project Optimist’s partner in the Central Minnesota News Collaborative

Ten-plus years ago the St. Cloud Somali Community Radio began broadcasting local news to thousands of Somali speakers in central Minnesota. This month Project Optimist and KZYS are launching the new Central Minnesota News Collaborative, designed to strengthen local news through partnerships.

Two women with dark hair smile as they pose for a photo in front of lilac bushes.

End-of-Life

Community Voices ⎸ Project Optimist staff plan for the end — and it feels good

Life goals: Complete health care directives, draft a will, and enroll in life insurance in 2025.

Illustration of a person in their garden.

Community voices

Community Voices ⎸ Project Optimist made leaps in 2024

A look at what we accomplished in 2024 and our goals for 2025.

Rolling hills, pine trees, and a sun are pictured in white on a golden yellow background.

Project Optimist

Community Voices ⎸ What Project Optimist readers told us

We break down the results from our 2024 Audience Survey and share how it will inform our work in 2025 and beyond.

An aerial view of trees with colors changing to red, gold, and yellow in the fall.

Biophilia

Community Voices ⎸ See Minnesota's fall colors from above

"The autumn season offers an example of how to change gracefully," writes Erica Dischino.

Two women with hard hats are pictured in a coal plant

Project Optimist

Community Voices ⎸ Project Optimist receives $100K Press Forward grant

Project Optimist is one of 205 small, local news publications to receive grants from Press Forward, the nationwide movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news.

A screenshot of a Google Doc with lots of text highlighted to indicate those portions have been verified.

Community voices

Community Voices ⎸ Fact-checks catch mistakes — every single time

"It takes time, but I know it's made me a stronger reporter," writes Jen Zettel-Vandenhouten, managing editor of Project Optimist.

Woman poses for a photo with her dog outside in winter.

Community voices

Community Voices ⎸ Saying yes to strange and difficult things

Emily Ford writes about the experiences that shaped her relationship with nature and the outdoors.

Community voices

Community Voices ⎸ Looking for a thriving, post-COVID downtown? Head to Rochester

Mayo Clinic and the Destination Medical Center have helped make the “orchestrated serendipity” possible, writes Bill Lindeke of MinnPost.